Chapter 6 - THE NANNY'S TERRIBLE SECRET
The triplets' nanny had disappeared.
Her name was Clara Voss.
She had worked for the Belandi family for almost three years.
Quiet.
Efficient.
Never late.
And according to Adrien, utterly devoted to the children.
But when Detective Hayes asked to speak with her, Clara was nowhere to be found.
Her phone had been switched off.
Her handbag remained in the staff lounge.
And the security footage showed her leaving through the kitchen shortly after Lily spoke.
Evelyn studied the recording.
“Can you rewind?”
The detective obliged.
Clara appeared on the monitor, moving quickly toward the rear exit.
But just before she disappeared, she looked back.
She was crying.
“She's frightened,” Evelyn murmured.
Adrien frowned.
“Of Matteo?”
“Maybe.”
Then Evelyn noticed something else.
Clara had hidden a small stuffed rabbit beneath her coat.
Lily's favorite toy.
“Why would she take that?”
Oliver looked up.
“Rabbit.”
Everyone turned.
He pointed toward the screen.
“Inside.”
Evelyn crouched.
“Is something inside the rabbit?”
Oliver nodded.
Adrien closed his eyes.
His children had been trying to tell him things for years.
But everyone had been so focused on making them speak that nobody had understood how much they were already communicating.
Detective Hayes contacted her team.
Within an hour, they located Clara at a bus station outside the city.
She was detained for questioning.
When shown the children's drawing, Clara broke down.
“I didn't want any of this.”
“What did you do?” Hayes asked.
Clara sobbed.
“Matteo threatened my sister. He said if I told anyone what happened to Celeste, she'd disappear too.”
Adrien stepped forward.
“Where is my wife?”
Clara shook her head.
“I don't know the current location.”
“Then what do you know?”
Clara opened the stuffed rabbit.
Hidden inside was a tiny memory card.
“I kept this because I knew someday someone would need proof.”
Detective Hayes secured the card as evidence.
The footage showed the Belandi mansion two years earlier.
Celeste was standing in the nursery.
Matteo entered.
They argued.
Then two men approached from behind.
Celeste screamed.
The camera shook.
And suddenly the footage showed something Adrien had never known.
His three children were standing in the doorway.
Watching everything.
Then Matteo turned toward them.
May you like
And said:
“If any of you tell Daddy what happened, Mommy will never come home.”
